Him
by Rasa Rainboweyes
Summary: Challenge fic. Years after the death of Voldemort Ted Lupin is returning from his first year at Hogwarts. Waiting at the station is one long thought dead. One shot looking through the eyes of Remus Lupin.


Disclaimer: I do not own anything that appears in this story

A/N: Challenge fic from Padyandmoony. Idea was that around twelve years after the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (not including the epilogue) Remus returns. Teddy has been raised by Harry and he's now 'Dad'. Remus was closer to Harry than implied in the books. I think this covers all those criteria in my own way.

Please note, this is a very recent story… as in I wrote it in the last half an hour before it was posted. Unlike my other stories that have been posted that are at least two years old. You're just lucky I wanted to post this asap, else it would be at the bottom of a very long list of backlogged stories… a hundred and fifty five to be exact.

Him

"_Harry?" A female voice said __and Harry turned from the two new graves. Two of many. But two that held his adoptive father and his wife, who had become one of his sisters. The woman stood behind him was crying, a precious bundle held in her arms._

"_Andromeda," He replied trying to smile but failing. He knew what she was going to ask of him._

"_I know you're young, that you want to go back to Hogwarts, but you're his godfather and I can't do this, I can't raise him. I'll be there as his grandmother, but I… I just can't…" She said her voice catching in her throat as she held out the bundle._

"_I understand," was all Harry said as he took the child from her and looked down at the sleeping child, unaware of where he was. Ted Lupin. Only child of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin. Orphan. Just like Harry. Without another word to the grandmother Harry turned with the child and headed back to the waiting group of friends ready to head back to Hogwarts._

**Eleven years later**

I watch as the steaming train pulls into the station. A train that I know so well. I feel so alone as I stand here, even though Harry stands by my side. How I wish my beautiful wife were here beside me as well as my adopted son. But she didn't return, nor did my brothers or sister, just me alone. I guess I should be thankful for the chance I have been given, but I almost wish I hadn't returned.

Harry is stood by me a hand firmly on the shoulder of a messy haired, hazel eyed five year old who is waiting starry eyed for the one we are all looking for. Next to him Ginny stands, as beautiful as ever, a three year old holding onto her hand and a one and a half year old girl in a pram gurgling away as she chews on the toy wolf I bought her after my return.

The train pulls to a halt and I feel an inexplicable desire to run. To leave now before I see **him**, before I can no longer deny what my heart already knows. But I tried to run once before, and Harry stopped me, I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't the courage to say what I needed to hear. Perhaps my beautiful wife would be waiting here, alone as I am, or married again with more children still waiting on the same boy.

**He's** a Ravenclaw, Harry tells me. As clumsy as **his** mother, and just as colourful. But **he** reads a lot like me, or so Harry says. I wonder how much of that is just wishful thinking on my part.

But no. Little James is waving fiercely at a boy now, a boy with his nose in a book who hasn't even noticed the five year old's frantic gesture. **He** stands out from the crowd because of **his** bright electric blue hair. I feel my hand clench as** he** trips up over **his** feet and I am desperate to go to **him**, to pick **him** up off the floor. But Harry has beaten me to it. He's next to the boy smiling and picking the book up that had caused **him** to fall.

I glance briefly to the side and see Ginny looking at me with a strange expression. As though weighing me up, wondering perhaps if I'm going to pull their little family apart. I wish I could say no, I wish I could just meet** him** and then fade back into death happy in the knowledge that **he** is safe. But no. I have not that luxury.

Before I am ready **he** is hugging Ginny fiercely as James tugs on **his** Hogwarts robes and babbles away like only a five year old can. **He's** smiling brightly, and I note his hair matches **his** robes. A Ravenclaw then, just like Harry said. **He's** babbling too now, fresh and full of tales from **his** first year at Hogwarts, I feel my heart tearing then, I should have seen **him** off nine months ago. I should have received the hundreds of letters **he **was bound to have sent.

And the tear turns into a aching chasm as I hear what **he** has to say 'Mum' **he** calls Ginny as Harry tickles **him**, 'Make Dad stop' **he** begs and Ginny gives Harry a mock glare, just like she used to during his sixth year when they first started dating. Harry messes around, pretending to die and little Albus pokes his face with the innocence of a three year old, making them all laugh.

And then **he** seems to notice me, stood slightly behind Ginny, watching with a pained expression on my face. And I see bright green eyes, like Harry's. Then I realise that** he** isn't the baby I used to hold and rock to sleep while my love and her mother talked about inconsequential things as they tried to tune into Potterwatch. **He's** a grown boy now, and **he** has a family that loves **him**.

I wonder how much Harry has told **him** of me. We became so much closer after Sirius' death, he had always been my cub, but he became my son in all but blood and I know that he saw me as a kind of father, though he was hesitant of that because he had lost so many of them already. Then **he** came along and Harry at first saw him as a baby brother, he was as much my son as **he** was. But now… now **he's** Harry's. What does that make me then? **He **already has a father, **he **doesn't need another. Maybe a grandparent? But no **he** has Andromeda for that. She was so tearful when I returned and my wife did not. She misses her daughter desperately. Maybe then I can take the place that Harry would have had, **his** godfather.

"Dad, who's that?" **he **asks in a low whisper, but my hearing is as sharp as it always has been even though my lycanthropy died with me and didn't return when I did, and I hear easily.

"Teddy this is Remus," Harry says and I try to smile weakly as **his** eyes widen in amazement.

"But… but Dad, I thought he died," **He** whispers in a low tone, **his** voice full of awe.

"He did, and now he's returned to us, through a miracle," Harry says and then bends in closer to his adopted son and whispers something not even I can here. **He** looks at Harry questioningly and Harry nods just once. Before I can even realise it I find the twelve-year-old wrapping **his** arms round my waist.

"Thank you Daddy," **he **whispers to me and I feel tears reaching my eyes as I sink to my knees and wrap my arms round **him**.

And then it all makes sense. We can both be **his** father. Harry might be Dad, the fun one who raised **him**, but I'll always be Daddy, the one who rocked **him** to sleep when **he** was a baby. Ginny wasn't making sure I wouldn't tear apart her family. She was making sure that I had earned the right to enter it.

I didn't say anything. Nothing needed to be said. I just knelt there with **him** in my arms as **his**... **our** family stood by and watched us, smiling. Eventually we stood and Harry took **his** trunk. I made to move away, but **he** just took my hand in **his **own and smiled up at me. In that moment my heart mended and I smiled as **his** hair turned light brown like my own. **His** eyes remained the same as we walked into the muggle car park of the station, but I didn't care. **He** was my son, and that was all that mattered.

And then **he** tripped again, but it wasn't Harry by **his** side this time, smiling and telling **him **that** he** has **his** mother's grace. It was me. And **he **just blushes as Harry and Ginny laugh and I offer **him **my hand.

And hand I hand we walked out of King's Cross. And for the first time I was glad that I had returned.

I smiled at my son. Ted Remus Lupin. And he smiled back at me.

It was the happiest I had ever been in my first or second life.

From that moment my patronus was of a wolf cub, the same animagus that Ted would have in a few years time.

"_Daddy?" Ted asked as he entered the room, now nineteen years of age, he still always called Remus Daddy, though it was not in a childish way. They would often sit for hours discussing the latest scientific theories or potion inventions._

"_Hey Teddy," Remus replied smiling as he look up from his book. Ted's hair was light brown, his eyes vivid green, his favourite appearance of the millions he could choose from._

"_I'm glad you came back, Daddy," He said and Remus smiled as he put down his book and hugged Ted gently._

"_I'm glad too," Was all he replied with, and it was true, he might wish that his beautiful Nymphadora were here, or his brothers and sister, but he was glad that he was back. However it had happened._


End file.
